May Papermaze Kit - Part 1

Hello, It's Lynn here today with the May Papermaze kit (a little later than usual due to holidays). The kit this month is full of brightly coloured patterned papers and cardstock - great fun! I have used mine to make four layouts of my children's activities back in the 1990's. The photo below shows the first two of these layouts.

Before looking at how the layouts were made, here is what you will find in the kit.

Patterned Papers:
49 and Market - Vicki Boutin - Artful Moments - Starters Paper #2 & #9
Simple Stories - Colour Me Happy - Okie Dokie & The Details
Simple Stories - Say Cheese Happiest Place - Adventure
Simple Stories - Take Note - My Favourite Things

The image below, shows both sides of the patterned papers.

Embellishments:
Doodlebug doilies - cupcake & mint, Pretty Little Studio - sunkissed word titles, Pebbles - Sun & Fun puffy dots, Jen Hadfield – Reaching Out – Rainbow Clip, P13 chipboard stars, Vicki Bouton – Bold & Bright puffy stickers, Rosie's Studio – Jubilee die cut sentiments, Studio Light Essentials washi tape

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Raven, African Daisy (included in kit), Ocean Oasis, Bazzill White, Berry Sensation & Intense Kiwi (extra pack).

Crazy Cozy Coupe - The children on their 3rd birthday, with the gift of a Little Tikes Cosy Coupe. 

For this layout I chose the Starters Paper #2, and keeping the barcode strip at the bottom of the page, I trimmed the same side strip from the top of the paper instead - so I still have a 12" x 12" piece of paper.

I printed five small photos of the event, and arranged these across the base of the page - leaving room to tuck items under the photos in places. I purchased an extra sheet of paper from the same collection - Starters Paper #8, this one is made up of 24 colourful tags, I cut out nine tags in colours to match the paint strips on the background paper. I inked the edges in Black Soot Distress Ink, and added a Pebbles - Sun & Fun puffy dot to each tag (from the kit).

The tags were arranged across the layout above the photos, in the same colour order as the paper beneath. I added journalling, the Vicki Bouton Bold & Bright puffy stickers, and Rosie's Studio – Jubilee die cut sentiments (both included in the kit). 

With my much loved, Spellbinders Dies Say Cheese Classic Mouse - Classic Mouse Alphabet set, I cut the title and the #3 from Raven Bazzill, and some scraps of glossy photo paper. These were layered up to make shiny letters with black shadows. Finally, I outlined the letters, tags and stickers with a black marker pen. 

Artists at Work - The children playing with paint, paper and easels in the garden.

I built the background of this layout, using Bazzill Basics Cardstock in Raven and Bazzill White. I gutted the white so I had a 1" deep 12"x 12" frame and a piece 10" x 10", I trimmed the black to 11" x 11" and gutted it to make another 1" frame. These were then built up to create the background as seen in the photos. 

I mounted two landscape photos 4.5" x 3.5" onto a piece of white card, trimmed to make a very narrow border. This was then mounted onto the Ocean Oasis Bazzill, and then again onto a piece of  The Details paper. This was placed to the left side of the layout.

I used the Starters Paper #9 in several different ways, first of all I cut eight banners from the rays of colours. These were roughly 3.5" long and as wide as printed. I inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink and arranged them in rainbow colour order to the right side of the photos. 

The other way I used the paper, was to stamp on, to make the colour palates and brushes etc. 
I used Clear Stamps by Eileen Hull Swatch Cards and stamped the images on the white grid part of the paper. I cut these out and then stamped onto the coloured part of the paper to produce the paint colours. These were cut out and placed over the corresponding areas on the swatch cards. I also stamped the brush tips onto the coloured areas, and added them to the brushes. 

I used some of the washi tape from the kit and chose the word ' Creativity' and ran this between the photos and the coloured banners. Then I arranged all the stamped images I made. 

Finally, I used scraps of  Raven Bazzill, and die cut letters and numbers for the date and title. These were positioned over the coloured banners.

That's all for today, back with more from this kit soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

Sizzix - Eileen Hull Collection - Colour Wheel, Swatch Cards and Rainbow Wheels

I recently purchased a set of Sizzix products designed by Elaine Hull from Papermaze. They included: A5 Clear Stamps Set 24PK - Swatch Cards, Thinlits 9PK Die Set - Rainbow Wheels and Layered Stencils 3PK - Colour Wheel. This collection together with my Distress Inks gave me a variety of possibilities. There are plenty of ideas on the Sizzix web site including links to some You Tube videos. 

Here is a selection of things I made using these new tools:



First of all I made a layout, based on an idea by Jess Jones of Sizzix and changed to meet my plans. 



I cut some scrap paper down to 11" x 11" and placed it in the centre of the 12" x 12" Smooth White Bazzill, I had selected for the layout. I used the smaller piece as a mask, and with a blending tool I inked Distress Inks around the edge of the layout in a rainbow sequence. I removed the mask and flicked some of the colours over the page.  

I stamped the above image onto watercolour paper, and  cut it out with the largest circle die. Then I used Distress Inks, watered down on the craft mat and painted the segments. 

With the stencils I created the colour wheel above onto watercolour paper, then covered it by cutting the overlay from white cardstock and sticking it in place over the top. I trimmed the stencilled wheel from under the die. I stamped the small wheel with 12 sections (also watercolour paper), and cut it out with the smallest circle die. I painted each section with more Distress Inks.  I cut three silver arrows using the dies, and attached them to the colour wheel centres, with small brads. 

I stamped the swatch card onto watercolour paper, and painted each panel as before, I stamped the 'colour swatch' phrase into place. I cut the card out with scissors. I also stamped three paintbrushes, painted them and cut them out. 

With a set of alphabet dies I cut my title from more watercolour paper, and painted each letter with a different colour of Distress Ink. All the elements and the photo were arranged onto the page and stuck in place. I added the date with some Doodlebug Designs Rubons. 

Next, I made a set of three Birthday cards using similar techniques to the layout, various card blanks and some scrap patterned papers. 

I decided as the small colour wheel has sixteen little pallets and the Distress Ink and Distress Watercolour Pencil tins each hold the same number of inks or pencils, that I would use the stamps and dies to organise and label my tins.

The pencil tins already have an acetate sheet to protect them, so I attached the colour wheels to this, so it shows through the lid. I wrote the initials of each colour over the inked colour. For the Distress Inks, I cut a piece of acetate to fit over the inks, and rounded the corners with a punch. I used this to attach the colour wheels.

I hope this has been useful and interesting. 
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

May Papermaze Kit - Part 2

Lynn here, returning with the second post, sharing my layouts using the Papermaze Kit for May. Some lovely cheery bright colours in the papers, card and embellishments. Here are my last two layouts for this month.

In the kit you will find the following items:

Patterned Papers:
Echo Park - Born to Travel - See the Sights Plaid & Postcard
Echo Park - Little Things Mean a Lot - Bright Butterflies
Graphic 45 - Spring is in the Air - Choose Happy
Photo Play - Lucky Cat - Cherry Blossoms
Simple Stories - For the Record - Just the Details

The photo above shows both sides of each paper.

Embellishments:
2 Woodware junk Label Stamps, purple & pink Studio Light pearls, 10 Dress It Up red hearts, 2 doilies, P13 frames, Rosie's Studio Bayfair dragonfly, 12 Rosie's Studio Bayfair Sentiments Ephemera & 12" Doodlebug washi tape Airmail.

Bazzill Basics Cardstock - Bazzill White, Admiral (included in kit), Wildberry Pie, Mexican Poppy, Grenadine & Hillary (Extra Pack).

Geisha Girl - The photo in this layout is one of a series my father took while experimenting with a camera and colour photo processing back in the 1950's

The base for this layout is a sheet of Tutu Pink Bazzill cardstock. I cut a piece of Cherry Blossoms paper tearing the edges to end up with a piece 8" x 11", which I placed towards the bottom of the cardstock.

I cut the two doilies in half and used three piece to tuck into the top of the paper. More of a lacy effect was created with a 12" length of 1.25" white cotton lace.

I printed my photo, mounted it onto some white card and placed it to the right side of the layout. Using the Cricut I cut some cherry blossom flowers in several sizes, and the Bazzill White, Grenadine & Black Bazzill. I also cut an 8" ring and some large swirls, also in black.

My journalling was printed onto some white card, and tucked it into the top of the patterned paper.

My title was cut using some gold cardstock and the Cricut, and arranged long the outside of the black ring.

I placed the Rosie's Studio Bayfair dragonfly at the top right of the layout. Finally, I added a touch of sparkle to the centre of each blossom, with some Gold Coast, Nuvo Glitter Drops.

I'm Gonna Learn How To Fly - These photos were taken when we celebrated my father's 70th birthday with a Tiger Moth flight. After the flight, the grandchildren were allowed to sit in the cockpit for a photo.



This layout started with the sheet of Postcard paper, I gutted the centre, making a frame of 0.75" including the airmail style border. I flipped the gutted centre over to show the blue world map side. I distressed and inked all the edges, and glued them to a spare sheet of 12" x 12" paper.

Using Admiral Bazzill I cut a title and arrows using the Tim Holtz, Thinlits, Sizzix die set - Vault World Travel. I also cut a globe with the Destination die set.

With the Vault Noteworthy die set, I cut a clipboard with silver Miri card and Kraft Bazzill. The note paper was cut from a scrap of lined paper. I added my journalling to the note paper.

My photos were mounted onto some of the Wildberry Pie Bazzill cardstock, They were arranged onto the centre of the layout and tied together with some red, white and blue twine.

Using the two Woodware junk Label Stamps from the kit, I stamped them onto some scrap card with black Archival Ink. I cut these out and inked the edges with Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink.

All the pieces were arranged around the photos, with the addition of a few of the Rosie's Studio Bayfair Sentiments Ephemera from the kit.

I used the manufacture's strip and cut both 'Born To Travel' labels from it, then arranged these under the clipboard.

Finally, I scattered the Dress It Up red hearts from the kit, over the page.

That's all for today, I will be back with the June kit soon.
Thanks for looking.
Lynn x

Heidi Swapp - Sun Chaser - So Happy

Hi everyone,

Claire back with you today sharing my second layout using Heidi Swapp Sun Chaser.

If you've taken a look at this collection in the store already, you'll know there are some absolutely stunning papers to choose from, and this week, I have decided to focus on making the paper the star of the show.

It's called Chillax and it is absolutely gorgeous!

Because the paper is so colourful, I have reverted to my standard Premium White Cardstock, and have cut the paper to fill a cutfile (Peartree Cutfiles, Pinwheel Mandala).

I considered placing the design centrally, but thought it would be more fun to cut the design into two unequal pieces. I've positioned these off centre on either edge of my page, leaving space for my photograph in between the two sections.

Where the photograph would be placed, I created a mixed media backdrop for it to sit on.  Having prepped the paper first with Gesso, I added Distress Oxide Sprays in:

 - Abandoned Coral

 - Fossilized Amber

 - Squeezed Lemonade

And also some Shimmerz Vibez in Love Ocean #9.

Although I've had Distress Oxides for many years, I am new to Distress Oxides Sprays - I LOVE them!! I find them so much easier to work with as they swish around the page much easier once a few splashes of water have been added. I'm definitely hooked!

Once the ink was all dry, I took the Sun Chaser Clear Stamp Set and selected the phrase "so happy". It's the perfect sentiment for how we always feel when we manage to get away from it all.

I repeated the stamping across the whole section, ignoring any gaps which would be covered by my picture.

The stamp set also contains a small heart - perfect for filling smaller spaces in between stamping.

Once all the mixed media elements were dry, I placed my cutfile on ether side, raising on foam pads for dimension.

Next, the photo and the clusters.

I mounted my photo on a piece of Be Bold black scripty paper, along with some polka dot tissue paper from my stash. I layered it on top of a tag from the Ephemera Pack and a small sun sticker from the Sticker Book.

Next, I created a small pull out that sits under the photo, using another piece form the Ephemera Pack. This holds some hidden journaling.

A small cluster to the bottom left of my photo created balance. Using black ephemera pieces helped tie in with the stamping and bring some grounding to this very colourful page. 

I used a circular tag, again from the Ephemera Pack, alongside some hearts from the Mini Puffy Stickers which feature in each cluster.

I decided, that with my repeated stamping, I didn't want a separate title, so ran with 'So Happy' as the title for my page. I used the remaining paper, left over from the cutfile, to cut some small 1" hearts, which I folded and scattered across the page along with some Pinkfresh Studio Jewels in Stargazer and Glacier.

As a final finishing touch, I felt like the page needed a little bit of foliage - in the photograph, we are in the Dominican Republic - so I cut a few leaves from the Juicy paper and added underneath my tag.

I really love how this page turned out.  These statement papers really do a lot of the work for you and need only minimal embellishing - especially with a splash of mixed media in the background.

I hope you've enjoyed these pages with Heidi Swapp Sun Chaser - It really is a beautiful collection to create with, and I hope it's inspired you to get your stories documented.

See you next month!

Claire xx

@Scrappysoulmate